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Hagop Kavafian-Smart Home Writer

Hagop Kavafian

Smart Home Writer

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About Hagop Kavafian

Hagop is a tech-savvy guy, who's also into traveling, fitness, biking, food, and planes. He's heptalingual and has lived in 5 different countries, but has decided to settle in Paris for the time being.

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Repeating the same words makes for sub-par writing, which is why most authors employ synonyms to diversify the vocabulary they use. Even though writing is usually done on computers, a lot of it happens on our mobiles, and finding synonyms should be as simple as when you're working on your laptop. Thankfully, Grammarly's keyboard can now suggest analog words as you type, so your messages can be more remarkable than ever.

Although Spotify is not a social media network, it has a bunch of features to let users share playlists, songs, and albums amongst each other. However, it doesn't really give artists the opportunity to interact with their fans, besides sharing their biography, a few pictures, and concert dates on their page. This is about to change, as the streaming platform is reportedly introducing stories, in which performers will be able to create a stronger bond with listeners.

Summer is almost over, but you've worked so hard to build that beach body of yours, it would be a shame to destroy it as soon as you put some clothes back on. Thankfully, Fitbit's Inspire HR tracker has just dropped to $80 to help you keep track of your workouts all year long.The Inspire HR has a touchscreen display and can track your activity, sleep, and heart rate. It's also swim-proof, so you'll be able to use it at the pool to monitor your laps. It can also connect to your phone's GPS to track your pace and distance in real time. Lastly, its five-day battery life means you won't have to remember to charge it every day.

It's almost time to go back to school, and what better way to make sure you're on time than a brand new smartwatch. Thanks to this deal on Mobvoi's smartwatches, you can save between 15 to 20% on four models, which range from $136 to $250 depending on your needs.The range includes the E2 and S2 models, which are the most affordable and designed with fitness in mind. They both have built-in GPS capability and heart rate monitors. The S2 is more rugged thanks to its MIL-STD 810G rating and built with extreme outdoor sports in mind. The two devices feature proactive fitness tracking, which automatically starts recording activity based on your activity, without the need to manually touch your watch. Lastly, they're both water-resistant up to 50 meters underwater.

Xiaomi products are known to be affordable and do the job well, including its Mi Home security camera. The product was initially sold for a reasonable $40 but has just received a $10 markdown, making it quite a bargain for just $30.

At the end of May, Amazon introduced a new 5-inch smart display with hopes to satisfy buyers looking for a smaller device than the Show but bigger than the Spot, and also to compete with Lenovo's Smart Clock. The initial $90 price was also reasonably positioned in comparison to other smart devices, but just two months after its release, the Echo Show 5 is currently on sale for $65, which is almost 30% off.

Wireless chargers are convenient in many ways: Not only do they spare you the need to attach a cable to your phone, they're also handy if you have multiple devices with different ports. Samsung's dual wireless chargers take this amenity to the next level, as they can charge two devices wirelessly at the same time using a single cable. You can snatch them at a discount, as the Qi Wireless Charger Duo and Wireless Charger Duo Pad, which features Fast Charge 2.0, are down to $50 and $70, respectively.

2019 has been a sad year for WearOS, as the platform witnessed the death of several apps over the past few months. Runkeeper is the latest company to announce the retirement of its application on WearOS devices, claiming the experience was buggy for most users.

Safety cameras are convenient to keep an eye on your house when you're away, but their steep price can be a roadblock. However, thanks to this deal, you'll be able to pay 25% to 30% less on a selection of TP-Link Kasa safety cameras. B&H is discounting four models, which range from $35 to $80 with the markdown.

Since December, Google Maps started displaying Lime scooters and bikes when looking for public transit directions. The feature has then been extended to 80 cities in March, making it easier for locals and tourists alike to see what option is faster to get to their destination. Google and Lime have partnered to integrate the company's rides more deeply with Maps, as the latter is now shown in the walking and cycling tabs, in addition to the transit one.

If your phone has the appropriate slot, MicroSD cards are a convenient way to expand your device's internal memory or transfer files to another handset. They might seem expensive, but you can snatch a Sandisk 512GB card for less than $90 thanks to this deal.

Dark mode has become one of the most requested features nowadays, and it only makes sense a growing number of companies are designing their apps accordingly. Following in the footsteps of Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, LinkedIn is reportedly working on a dark theme for its app.

Hue bulbs are among the best ones on the market, thanks to their reliability and compatibility with many third-party services such as Alexa, Assistant, IFFT, and many more. Unfortunately, they're also known for their relatively high price, but this deal on the color starter kit with two bulbs is a steal at just $78, almost 50% off their traditional MSRP.

If you're looking for a decent phone with high-end specs and don't want to break the bank, look no more: LG's latest flagship just dropped to $500 on Amazon, which is a very reasonable price given its internals. Since the handset was selling for $850 when it came out in April, the $350 markdown in such a short time is quite impressive.

The Nokia 7.1 was released a year ago and remains one of the most relevant budget devices on the market. The phone was initially priced at $350 when it came out, but it's dropped to $300 a couple of times since then. The handset has now reached an all-time-low, as several retailers are selling it for just $250.If you're unfamiliar with the handset, it's powered by a Snapdragon 636 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also has 64GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a 5.84" 1080p display, a 3,060mAh battery, and a headphone jack. Plus, although the Nokia 7.1 originally shipped with Android 8.1 Oreo, it's been updated to Pie since.

Samsung DeX is a neat way of turning your phone or tablet into an actual computer. At first, the system required you to connect your device to a dock, but has since evolved to forgo that requirement and work directly when plugged into a monitor with a simple USB-C to HDMI cable. With the Note10, DeX now supports a new mode that lives inside your operating system so that your phone's and computer's features can co-exist on the same screen.

With its two-in-one Smart Tabs, Lenovo had the brilliant idea of combining a regular Android tablet and a smart display into a single device. When paired with its accompanying dock, the device transforms into an Echo Show, letting you interact with Alexa without having to purchase an additional product. Unfortunately, the Smart Tabs couldn't place video calls until now, but a new update letting you do just that has just been released.With the latest version of the Alexa Show Mode application, Lenovo's Smart Tab P10, Smart Tab M10FHD, and Smart Tab M10HD are now compatible with Alexa Communication. This means the tablets can place voice and video calls, message other Alexa users, and broadcast announcements. The company says the upgrade process is automatic but mentions both the Alexa Show mode app and dock firmware need to be up to date for the feature to become availableLenovo is also working on making Drop In available for its Smart Tabs in the near future. Once released, the functionality will let you start instant two-way intercom conversations with other Alexa devices. The company said the feature would be enabled later this year, which will most probably be through another software updated.[EMBED_APP]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=amazon.speech.sim[/EMBED_APP]Source: Lenovo

When I set up my smart home infrastructure, I went on an uncontrollable buying spree to make sure almost everything from the lights to the vacuum was connected. The Ecobee Switch+ is a neat all-in-one smart switch that comes with Alexa and a bunch of sensors, to avoid multiplying the number of smart things you buy. Given the number of things it can do, its initial $80 price was reasonable, but it's now dropped another $35, making quite an exciting deal.The Switch+ is designed to replace a regular switch on the wall while offering many more features. First and foremost, it comes with Alexa built-in, so you can interact with Amazon's virtual assistant without the need to buy an additional Echo speaker. It also packs motion, brightness, and temperature sensors, so it can automatically turn the lights on when someone walks into a room or when it's dark. Thanks to its compatibility with IFTTT, HomeKit, and SmartThings, it can interact with other devices based on your needs; for instance, you can use the embedded temperature sensor to control your thermostat. Lastly, the built-in night light is convenient to find your way around the house when it's dark.The Switch+ can be installed in about 45 minutes and doesn't require any technical skills to do so. Unfortunately, despite its catchy promise, some users have complained about its performance and mentioned it doesn't fully replace an actual Echo. It could still be worth it, especially if you place it in a hallway, but I probably wouldn't rely on it to be my living room speaker.Buy: Amazon

Back in June, Philips introduced a new range of bulbs that worked without the need for a hub. Although these connect to your phone directly through Bluetooth, they lack direct Internet access if you don't buy the Hue bridge. The company is looking at fixing this drawback with the release of a new lineup that operates directly over Wi-Fi and forgoes the need for a hub.

True-wireless earbuds are practically the norm now, but what if you're looking for something just a tad more premium? Well, we've got what you need, and it comes with a markdown. Master & Dynamic is known for its high-end audio products and the use of premium materials, and its MW07 wireless earphones are among the most luxurious ones on the market. Thankfully, they just dropped to $219, which is $80 less than their original retail price.They boast unique components that set them apart from the competition, such as their 10mm beryllium drivers, stainless steel acoustic enclosures, and acetate body. Their 20m range is also impressive, which ensures you'll still benefit from outstanding audio even if you're far from your phone. The 3.5-hour battery life is more standard, but it can be extended to a total of 14 hours thanks to the charging case. The latter is filled up through a USB-C port so that you can use the same cable as your phone's.We particularly appreciated their impressive sound quality, reliability, and design in our review. However, we found their price to be too steep, which this deal helps alleviate. If you're interested in snagging a pair for $80 off, simply use the link below to buy them from Amazon. Unfortunately, only the Matte Black version is available with at this price, but the Piano Black, Pink Coral, and White Marble variants are selling for $250, which is still $50 less than the MSRP.Buy: Amazon (Matte Black, Piano Black, Pink Coral, and White Marble)

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